Treasured Assassin
by EMPMistress
Summary: A young and talented Minuet infiltrates the Zoldyck Estate only to be attacked by their guard dog, Mike. When her life is saved by the Young Master of the house, Killua, she takes the opportunity to join him as he's fleeing from home. Although Minuet is aware of Killua and what he is capable of, it becomes clear that Killua is not fully aware of who and what Minuet truly is. R&R
1. A x Risky x Job

People. She glanced around at the various people around her, all uttering words that meant nothing to her. Even the tour guide's words meant nothing. Her task at hand was the only thing that mattered to her. If she failed to complete her task, she had no right to return home. What kind of prodigy would fail to collect a treasure from a Zoldyck family member? Just a lock of their hair would be enough, she thought.

Still, how was she supposed to complete such an impossible task without calling a vendetta on her family? _No, if they didn't want me to complete the job, they wouldn't have sent me off to do it._ She thought to herself, trying to diverge herself from her cowardly habits. This was not the time to be a coward. She had to be brave, be strong, and be resilient. She couldn't give in to her own cowardice no matter the cost.

As the tour bus halted to a stop, Minuet stood up and exited, disregarding the tour guide's instructions. She glanced at the large gate before her, then to the small wooden door on the right of the gate. It would be easiest to go through the wooden door if she could get a key to go in, but it was likely it was a trap.

"Five children." She muttered to herself, approaching the gate. Which one of those five children would she be lucky enough to run into?

She placed a palm on the cold alloy before glancing over at the guard in his booth. He was an elderly man with a round face and white whiskers for hair. His eyes stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to make a move. She did so much as bat an eyelash at him before turning back to the gate.

"Miss! We'll be leaving now, please get back on the bus!" The tour guide called to her from the bus, but she didn't really care.

"I'll be staying." She said, just loud enough for the guide to hear her.

"Are you crazy?!" The Guide tried to argue with Minuet, her hands on her wide hips as she gave the green-haired girl a scolding glare. "Miss, please get back on the bus." She watched as Minuet walked over to the guard, "H-Hey?!"

Minuet didn't even acknowledge the guide this time. She looked up at the guard through the open window to the booth. "Excuse me, Sir? How do I get into this estate?" She asked, smiling politely at him. Zebro chuckled before tilting his hat.

"Through that wooden door there, but I can't give you the key." He replied.

She blinked, looking over at the wooden door once more._ Why would he just tell me how to get in, and that he has the key to do it? There must be something he isn't telling me._ "I assumed so. Will you fight me for it?" Minuet asked, tapping her fingers against the wood of the booth.

"Fight? Oh, heaven's no, I neither have to fight you, nor can I." Zebro chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. What a child, he thought. She was an intelligent one, calling him out on his bluff. _Yes, he's definitely hiding something._

"I thought so." Minuet sighed. "Ah, would it help if my Papa knew Mister Silva?" She asked, tilting her head. When Zebro shook his head, she sighed. "I see. I'll find another way in, then. Thank you."

The green-haired girl made her way down the hill, seemingly. The tour bus was already gone, which pleased her greatly. It wasn't any fun having tag-a-longs during a job unless she absolutely needed them or they were useful. How she wished to have Boot with her right now. He was, however, on a mission of his own to collect the skull of a one-horned being.

Positioning herself, Minuet looked over at the gate before descending at a great speed that left everything a mere blur of colour around her. She was moving at such a speed that without enough skill she could end up screwing up and literally splatting against the alloy, creating a deliciously bloody meat-mess for poor Zebro to clean up.

With intricate skill, Minuet managed to run up the gate. She looked below as she was propelled upward by mere momentum of her sprint. She could've just jumped, but truth be told, Minuet didn't really enjoy having her feet off of the ground. "Hm..." She glanced around at her surroundings, but when the rapidly ruffling trees and bushes caught her eye, she worried.

_ What is that thing?_

Her first instinct was to spin, trying to get as far from the gate as possible so she could pivot and run back up it and jump out. Surely she could do that before that thing caught her.

It barreled towards her at a high speed, its blood lust evident before it got down and ready to pounce. Just as its feet left the air, the first thing to fill its ears was the high-pitched scream of its prey and then-

"Mike! Down!" the voice of its Master. Obeying, Mike dropped, leaving the girl to plummet to her doom.

Minuet was too startled to correct herself, curling up into a ball as she fell into the trees. The branches tugged at her skin and clothing and hair, and she managed to bear with it until she landed on the ground, a jolt going through her body as she yelped due to shock-absorbency failure from her wrists from the way she landed. "Hnaah!"

"Oh?" Silver hair; that was the first thing Minuet took note of when glancing at the Young Master. "A girl? Did you jump over the gate?" No one was skilled or crazy enough to jump over the gate, and to think a young girl was both. Needless to say, Killua was intrigued by her strange behaviour and her display of skill, at least up until the landing.

Minuet blinked, her cheeks flushing before she covered her face. Oh, how embarrassed she was! Still, now was not the time to be embarrassed, so she forced herself to regain composure before glaring at the boy standing before her.

Killua looked over her, a smirk on his face. "Are you really going to glare at the person who just saved that miserable life of yours?" Killua cooed, his eyes scanning over her. He took in her appearance, not minding how obvious it was that he was doing so. His eyes wandered over her; he was trying to make her feel uncomfortable. He took note of the shade of green her hair was, how deep of a ruby her eyes were, to the point that they looked more garnet than ruby, how pale her skin was, the way she held herself, and every curve of her body, and to be honest, she was quite well-endowed for her size. How old was she? Fifteen maybe? A short fifteen year old that just matched his height was possible, right? Definitely. All in all, he wouldn't mind being her captor.

Minuet's glare softened and she stared up at the silver-haired boy before her. She looked down at her torn clothing and bit her lip before looking back up at Killua. Her dress was torn in a few places, and it was barely staying on as she sat there in the dirt. Slowly, she felt her cheeks flushing as she stood up, Killua's eyes never leaving her as she did so.

She bowed politely, "My apologies. I'd like to thank you for saving my life." Minuet looked up at the boy who smirked before standing straight once more.

"You're kinda cool." Killua smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'm Killua."

"I'm Minuet." She replied, examining the boy. His hair was a lovely silver, and it was a little messy, but still styled. His eyes had a slant similar to her own, and their sapphire colour was rather eye-catching compared to how white his skin was. His clothes were a little casual for someone who was rich, but she couldn't complain seeing as she despised wearing fancy clothing as well.

"I'm running away from home." Killua said nonchalantly, glancing over the girl, "Wanna come?" _Do you want to be friends?_ He didn't smile. To be honest, he knew not to expect her to say yes. He knew better than to ask her outright if she wanted to be friends, too. She was an intruder after all. Was she there to kill him and his family, as well? If it hadn't been for him, she'd be dead, unless she somehow managed to kill Mike -which seemed rather impossible given her introduction to him.

Minuet blinked. _Running away from home? Why would he do that?_ She stared at him, her senses heightened as she listened for anyone nearby and tried to sense their presences. The only one nearby was Mike, and maybe two or three small birds, which were easy to hear as they tweeted in the branches overhead.

She glanced over him once more. He was the only target in sight, and she'd be a fool to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. With a nod of her head, she began walking back to the gate. "I'll join you." she murmured, looking back at the boy. His eyes widened and he blinked. He really wasn't expecting a positive response like that.

"Cool." He smirked, joining the girl. Still, he wondered what she'd be doing by his house. She was most definitely an intruder, but why was she there? It had to be to kill him, right? Or was there something else? A thief? No, if she did that, she would've approached at night, same if she was to kill him. _Maybe she's just an idiot._

Minuet watched as the boy pressed his palms against the alloy before expending his strength. Her eyes widened. Now she felt absolutely stupid! No wonder that old man was staring at her from the booth. He was seeing if she was smart enough to figure out how to open the gate. "How much does that gate weigh?"

"Two tons for the first doors, then it doubles for each door after, and if you didn't notice, there are seven of them. The number of gates that open depends on how much strength you use." He explained, glancing back at the girl. "Think you can open it?"

She nodded, looking up at the gates. Seven gates, meaning the weight of one door of gate seven would be 128 tons, meaning you'd have to be able to push 256 tons to open all seven gates. If the weight doubles, she'd only be able to open up to gate two, each door weighing four tons, the total mass being eight tons.

"I don't believe you." Killua scoffed, stepping away from the gate and back into his estate. "You open them then." He gestured for her to take the lead and she did.

Minuet pressed her palms against the doors and expended all of her strength to push them open. Just as she predicted, she reached gate two and looked back at Killua who whistled at her success.

"You're pretty strong." He chuckled, trotting into the doorway, "But I'm stronger." He pulled his sleeve up and flexed his arm, showing off his muscle before trotting out. Minuet nodded her head and gave the boy a slight smile. _How arrogant. That arrogance is charming, though, I suppose._

"Leaving, Young Master?" Zebro asked, tilting his hat in salute to the young boy.

"Yeah, I'm running away." Killua waved, hopping onto his skateboard. "See you in the next life, Zebro!" He laughed, riding his skateboard off and down the hill, Minuet following right behind him.

* * *

><p>Minuet peered into the bag that Killua handed her as she sat on the curb. "Clothes." He said, shoving his hands into his pockets, averting his gaze. He felt a little bad that she'd even walked all the way to the town wearing what she was. People were staring at her, and though she didn't seem to mind as much as he did, he didn't want to walk around with a girl who was half-naked.<p>

"Thank you." She replied, standing up. "I appreciate your kindness." She bowed her head and looked around. "DO you know anything of the Xetz family?" She asked, walking alongside Killua as he lead them to a hotel.

"Nope." He shrugged, "I don't talk to many people outside of my family and I don't read up on anyone I don't work with." Killua turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

Minuet shook her head. "I was curious." She reached into her bra and pulled out her cellphone. Killua's eye twitched. _What a strange place to keep things_, he thought. She dialed her home number and waited for the phone to pick up.

"Hello. Zenyk speaking."

"How's everything at home?" Minuet asked, Killua's interest piquing as he glanced over at her. "Yes, I see. That's great!" Minuet giggled, Killua raising an eyebrow. She seemed rather hollow until that phone call, he thought. "No. But I'm traveling with one. It is? What? But what about -? Alright!", Killua took note of the smile on the girl's face. _Good news?_, he wondered, walking alongside her. When she giggled, while hanging up the phone, his suspicions were confirmed.

* * *

><p>"Hello. Zenyk speaking." He began, his voice calm as he kept up his formal facade. When he heard that sweet voice, he relaxed a little. "I've taken care of the client, so you don't need to continue working that dangerous job with the Zoldycks anymore." He smiled gently, hearing Minuet's happiness. "Are you still at their estate? Interesting. You know the Hunter Exam is soon, right? Why don't you take a little break and go have some fun. Yes. No 'buts'. Use it as a means to test your training and even make some friends."<p>

Zenyk sighed, hanging up his phone. He glanced over at the limp bodies littering the floor. The scent of blood was sickening as he began walking through the mansion. The mansion he'd spent seven years of his life in... The mansion he'd leave and never return to.

* * *

><p>"Good news?" Killua asked, turning into the hotel.<p>

"Very." Minuet smiled, hugging onto Killua's arm, happily. When he pulled away, his face red, she turned to him, blinking in astonishment.

"Ew! Don't do that!" He complained, crossing his arms. Killua didn't hate physical affection, he just really hated the idea of being affectionate with someone in public. It was embarrassing!

Minuet tilted her head, her heart sunk as soon as she heard him utter the word, 'ew'. "E-Ew?" She stepped away from him, feeling severely offended. "A-Am I gross? I don't smell bad, do I?"

Killua blinked, his face turning red as the girl before him became... a girl. Before, she was so quiet and hollow that he couldn't care less if she was a girl or not and he was walking with her, but now she was acting like a stereotypical one. It seemed as though she was a completely different person than she was before that phone call. "No." He shook his head, astonished by her frantic behaviour. "Let's just get the lodging situation over with." He rubbed his neck before turning into the hotel.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey! I'd like to know what you think of Minuet so far and the general introduction to the story. Please tell me in the comments or through PM! Constructive and harsh criticism welcome! R&amp;R, thank you!<strong>

**-Kiru**


	2. A x Get to x Know

Killua was the first to awaken that morning. He glanced over at Minuet who was fast asleep on the couch, curled up under the sheets.

"What should I do?" He asked himself, rolling out of the bed.

_ Eyes. _

Quickly, he turned around to see Minuet's eyes open and looking right at him. A shiver slithered up his spine and he turned his back to her and entered the restroom. "I'll be out in a bit." He muttered, closing the door behind him before pulling his clothing off for a shower.

Minuet looked around at the room. Where was she again? Why was she with Killua? _My dream_, she thought, closing her eyes to try and recreate the images of her slumber.

Blood was the first scent to fill her nostrils before she rolled out of bed. Down the hall, she could hear her foot steps on the wooden floors and on the soft rugs. She could feel the warm wood, varnished a mahogany colour that she adored. She could feel the plush red carpets when she stepped on them, soft and warm beneath her feet. "Hello?"

"Hm?" Killua was there. She ran over to him and touched his face. His skin was soft. Quickly, he pulled away and shot her a glare. "I thought I told you I didn't like that sort of stuff!" He shouted at her, shoving her back slightly, but not enough to shove her over.

Blood. Minuet glanced at her arms where he had touched. There was a sticky warmth to them, and... blood. "Killua?" She glanced up at him before he slowly wrapped his hands around her neck. She didn't move, she was powerless against him as he began to squeeze. She stood there and let him strangle her, and soon, his nails dug into her skin. She could feel the sting of his dirty nails as he dug them in.

"Who's blood is that?" Minuet choked out, glancing around, her eyes wide as she tried to use peripheral vision to get a better view. Her body was too limp to fight back, but still, it didn't hurt as much as she'd thought it would. She was being strangled, but it didn't feel as though she was.

"Guess." Killua smirked, looking around before letting go of her neck and shoving her to the ground. Not the ground...

The limp warmth beneath her... scattered beneath her. She looked around and caught a glimpse of silver hair with blue eyes. "K-Killua?" He was amongst the dead bodies, but why was he the one hurting her too? Blond hair and green eyes. "B-Boot?" Her other siblings were there too! She clutched at the body beneath her before she turned to Killua again, the bloodied one, just as he lunged at her.

Minuet's eyes shot open once more. "I hope Boot's okay." She murmured to herself before kicking her feet off of the couch.

* * *

><p>"You're taking the Hunter Exam?" Killua blinked. He was planning on doing the same thing, so to hear Minuet want to take it as well was a surprise.<p>

Minuet nodded, "That phone call I made last night was my brother Zenyk. He told me to take the Exam and have fun. I don't care about becoming a Hunter, but I think he wants me to, so I'm going to try my best." She glanced over at Killua with a smile. "I suppose this is where we part ways then, isn't it?" She turned her back towards Killua and began walking off. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Killu- Ah?"

"I'm coming with you." Killua smiled, walking alongside the girl once more.

"Shadow Step?" She asked, looking down at his feet. "You're very well rehearsed in that technique." Minuet smiled, astonished by Killua's mastery of the technique. She, herself knew the technique and constantly utilized it as well, but she hadn't met anyone who was better at it than her before.

Killua nodded, "Yep. I knew it." He narrowed his eyes at her, "You're an assassin, aren't you?"

Minuet's cheeks flushed, "N-Not an assassin per say." She quickly turned away. She really should be more cautious when not on the job. She was only really effective when she was in a working state of mind. "Just a hunter, loyal daughter and sister, though sometimes I feel more like a mother than a sister."

Killua's eyes widened, "You'd better not be a mother at that age!" He hissed at her.

"Twelve is a little too young to have children, yes." She giggled, Killua blinking, his face red. He'd thought she was fifteen by how her body looked. She was already developing breasts at this age? And her hips were a little wider than a twelve-year old's as well. To top it all off, she was unusually polite and mature. "I look and act older than I really am."

Killua blinked, "Puberty is weird." He muttered, turning away from the girl. _She'll be a total hottie when she gets older_, he thought.

"Are you not going through it yet?" Minuet asked, tilting her head. She knew a bit about a boy's body due to her being the one to inform her younger brother, Boot about it. He was an early-bloomer as well in the family. Her elder brother, Flipper was a late bloomer, though, and his voice only just recently dropped after he turned sixteen. Her elder sister, Chip was a late-bloomer as well, only getting breasts at the age of seventeen, whereas her other sister, Mirai was an early bloomer like she was and had gone through quite a bit of the process at the age of ten.

Killua shrugged, "I don't really care. I'll still be cool when I go through it." Until his voice cracks, he thought with a shudder.

Minuet smiled. _Charming,_ she thought pleasantly. "I suppose so."

An elevator carried the two of them down to the Hunter Exam. Minuet looked around the room as they departed. "So what's your family like?" Killua asked, waiting for the elevator to go down. "I've never had the chance to ask someone before."

Minuet closed her eyes and kicked her feet a she sat in her seat. "Hectic. I have a lot of brothers and sisters, so it's not quiet very often. I'm closest with my brothers Zenyk and Boot, though. Zenyk is my older brother who's been with me ever since before we were adopted. I'm not blood-related to any of my family members, by the way." She smiled, remembering the day when her little brother, Boot, first came home.

"Boot is my little brother who was adopted soon after I was. He's cute and shy, but he's an inch taller than I am, despite being a year younger. I give him a lot of attention. My youngest sibling is my sister, Serena. She's very independent, so she prefers to do things on her own. She looks a lot like me when I was younger, which is funny, because I don't remember having any living blood-relatives." She tilted her head side-to-side as she told Killua about her family.

"Zenyk, my elder brother, is very calm and cool. He's stubborn and gets jealous easily, though. But he's always nice to me and he dotes on me as if I was his real sister. Everyone in my family is like this, though. Everyone has their favourite siblings and they create their own family within a family. We get along most of the time, but we argue like a family."

Killua listened, entranced by Minuet's family-life. He wondered how many siblings she really did have and where she was adopted from. What her her parents like, even. Still, there was no way she was a normal child. "What about utilizing Shadow Step? I bet you know Rhythm Echo, too. Did you have training?"

Minuet chuckled, "Of course I did. It'd be best not to tell you the kind of training I went through, though. 'Never let your opponent know the ace up your sleeve', is what my Master taught me." She smiled at Killua, glancing over at the numbers for the elevator.

"How'd you do that?" Killua's eyes widened. When she said what her master taught her, her voice changed completely in tone and pitch. Even her speech pattern was different.

"Manipulation." She smiled, "I can do every single one of my brothers and sisters voices as well."

"What about mine?" He asked, a smirk on his face. That was a pretty cool skill to have, if he did say so himself. Imagine the things he could do with voice changing abilities like hers through a phone! It'd be good for prank calls, too!

Minuet nodded her head, "I can, I suppose." She raised her finger before clearing her throat, "'Minuet is super pretty.'" She said in his voice, giggling in the same voice afterward. "What did you think?"

"Cool! But I'd never say that! " Killua laughed, Minuet giggling at his arrogance before the elevator opened.

"Ah." Minuet turned to the open door before pushing herself out of her seat, following Killua out the door. "I'll look for any potential threats -in other words, people that might be hazardous for us to run into."

"Eh? I'm fine, I can take whatever this exam throws at me." The silver-haired teen chuckled before waving the girl off, but not until after they received tags.

"That cockiness is charming, but it might be your undoing, Killua." Minuet chuckled, trotting around the other applicants, searching for anyone who might be a potential threat.

_Charming? She thinks I'm charming?_ Killua stole a glance at the girl as she disappeared into the crowd, a smug grin on his face._ I am pretty charming, aren't I?_

* * *

><p>Minuet tilted her head as she stared down at the spiky-haired boy, along with another, taller man, and a blond haired boy. There were more children at the exam? She smiled and leaped down to approach them, just before Tonpa did. She shot him a glare and stuck her tongue out at him. He's the one who gave Killua that poisoned drink!<p>

She waited patiently for Tonpa to greet them. Watching as they took the juice, she cringed. They should've denied him like that Hanzo guy did. He was rather smart, even if he did come off as a babbling fool sometimes. As a scream filled the entire tunnel, Minuet turned to Killua to see that he couldn't care less for what was going on. Instead, he was rocking back and forth on his skateboard.

_Flower petals_, Minuet thought with a sick grin. _What a beautiful magic trick_. She watched as the red petals fluttered to the ground in a magical flurry.

When the commotion calmed and Tonpa left the trio alone, Minuet took the opportunity to greet them. She hopped onto the ground and walked over to the three boys, her fingers entwined behind her back.

"Hello."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hey! So here, you find out a little bit about Minuet's family and her occupation. You also get to see Killua and Minuet bond slightly, but it's possible that bond won't be there as soon as Gon steps in! Will Killua toss her to the side for Gon, or will he continue to cherish Minuet's acquaintance-ship?<strong>_


	3. A x Moody x Friendship

Minuet hopped down to the trio in hopes of greeting them. The spiky-haired boy clad in green was the first to catch her attention out of the trio, the second being the blond wearing a red and blue parka, and the third being the tall man wearing a suit and small, round shades.

"Hello." She greeted them politely, her ruby eyes sparkling with enthusiasm as she scanned over the three boys. "How are you doing, gentlemen?" Her eyes met Gon's brown ones almost as if she was drawn to him. She really was, too. Something about him seemed different and enticing, and he was... a cute boy who was her age.

Gon tilted his head at the green-haired girl before smiling and nodding his head, "We're good! I'm Gon! This is Kurapika, and this is Leorio." He gestured to the two older males behind him before holding a hand out to shake Minuet's with. He absolutely loved meeting new people. Sure, she was a girl, but she seemed kind of different; he could see it in her eyes.

Minuet politely took his hand and gave it a firm shake before giggling, "I'm surprised to see another child here besides me and my other friend."

"Another child? Aren't you a teenager?" Leorio asked, raising an eyebrow. She looked like one, maybe a short one, but a teenager all the same. She acted rather polite, too, so that only appraised his theory more.

"I'm twelve. But I suppose that counts as a teenager in some places." She smiled up at Leorio before turning to Kurapika and smiling at him as well, then back to Gon. Kurapika was easily the most attractive out of the group, but Gon drew her in more for some unexplained reason.

"Twelve?" Leorio blinked, a mischievous grin filling his face, "Hey, look! You have a little girlfriend, Gon!" Leorio teased the spiky haired boy with a big grin, causing Gon to chuckle and Minuet to blink.

Gon stuck his tongue out and winked at Leorio, his cheeks flushed slightly, "That's silly, Leorio. I just met her!" He didn't mind having a girlfriend, not at all. He was just worried about not giving her what she wanted. He knew how women were, but Minuet might be different. Still, he had his other task at hand. He had to find his dad.

Minuet tilted her head before digging her toe into the dirt, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked at Gon. He was a cute boy, and the energy he gave off reminded her of her brother, Boot. "A-Ah..." She gently pressed the tips of her fingers together, looking at the ground.

_ Ah, now he's embarrassed her!_ Gon gently placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up. "Don't worry, he's just teasing us." He smiled and squeezed her shoulder lightly... and then she disappeared into thin air- or at least it's what it looked like. "Eh?!"

Kurapika chuckled, finding the little situation to be quite humorous and to his tastes, "Leave it to Leorio to chase off a girl." He joked, shifting his weight onto his left foot, his arms crossed. It was a shame, though. He was interested in talking to the young girl a little bit. It was rather intriguing when such a young child was trying out for the Hunter Exam.

"What was that?!" Leorio fumed, shaking his fist at Kurapika. Gon couldn't help but giggle at the two. Arguing just seemed to be part of their daily routine now that they've met, and honestly, Gon thought it was funny when he wasn't in the middle of it.

Ring!

Everyone quickly turned to the source of the ringing, their eyes narrowing with expectancy until... The examiner appeared and the long awaited Phase One began.

* * *

><p>Minuet ran alone for the first few hours of Phase One. No one particularly caught her attention, save for Hanzo, Hisoka, and Gittarackur. There was Kurapika and Leorio, but of course, she wanted to avoid Leorio at all costs to avoid being teased or embarrassed. Kurapika, Minuet was rather indifferent about running into. Admittedly, she thought he was really attractive. Something about his demeanor made him that much more attractive than someone like Gon or Killua, who she also admittedly found quite attractive in their own aspects.<p>

Killua had an arrogant charm to him. His lovely silver hair that was messy in just the right way, and that flawless pale skin of his was beautiful. His sapphire eyes were eye-catching and the deep colour complimented the silver and white his body seemed to be naturally made of. His slanted, almond-shaped eyes definitely caught the attention of many, meaning he was exotic. The eyes were dark, yet somehow pure... He was truly beautiful.

Kurapika had a noble charm. He had a delicate, androgynous appearance, one befitting of a male or female. That lovely blond hair that was neatly styled and looked as if it fell perfectly over his light skin. His skin was flawless as well, leaving not a single blemish on his visage. He had defined lips, one that someone would find on a female, and his eyes were a beautiful brown that reminded her of the chestnuts that grew on the trees back at home. His eyes were wide and bright and showed an undeniable passion, making him all the more admirable.

Gon had an innocent, boyish charm to him. His appearance shouts 'innocent' at just a mere glance. His thick, black hair with emerald tips styled in an attractive, spikey style and that delicate olive skin was extremely dazzling. However, the most dazzling things about him were his lovely, brown eyes. They were dazzling and bright and showed a pure innocence to them as well as a deep determination. His kind and genuine smile was also a nice trait of his, and admittedly, Minuet adored his ears. Gon was easily a dazzling individual.

Oh, there were three lovely boys to pick from! How could she ever choose between the three of them? Of course, they'd have to like her as well. Still, she needed to know more about them before she could determine whether they were right for her or not. And even then, what if an innocent friendship sprouted between her and one of them? It would be terrible to ruin that blissful innocence by forcing it into a romance!

"Hi, Minuet!" The familiar voice pulled Minuet out of her thoughts as she searched for the source. Gon waved at the green haired girl, him and Killua approaching her quickly from behind. "You've been all the way up here the entire time?" He asked, smiling sweetly at her.

Killua's eyes widened and he blinked, turning to Gon. "You know her?" He asked, absolutely befuddled by the situation at hand. What were the chances that Minuet and Gon would run into each other? She was one, tiny little girl in a group of 405 different people! Well, 404 if you subtract the guy who lost his arms just before Phase One began.

"Mhm! She's my friend!" Gon chuckled, turning to Killua. "I didn't know you knew her, too." He was a little surprised, but once he noticed the number on her tag being 100, it made a little more sense.

Killua nodded his head, "Yeah, I know her. She came here with me, actually." He sighed, not really happy about Gon considering the girl a friend. They must've met during her scout for potentially threatening applicants. Did this mean that Gon was a threat as well? No way. He was just a normal kid, right?

"Ah? Really?" Gon rubbed the back of his neck, "I never would have guessed!" He chuckled, turning to Minuet. No point in mentioning that he checked the tags and put two and two together. "Wanna race with us, then?"

"Eh?!" Killua pointed at Minuet accusingly, "Her?! Really?!" He tugged at his silver hair with disdain, "No way! She's a girl!" He didn't need Minuet forcing herself between him and Gon. Who cared about her being cute?! If Killua was lucky, he could snag her when girls actually mattered.

Gon blinked, "W-Well..." He didn't know how to respond to that at all. He turned to Minuet who was shooting Killua a nasty glare with her ruby eyes. Wanting to somehow divert Killua's and Minuet's attention to something else, he said the first thing that came to mind, "Ah, you have really pretty eyes, Minuet!" He commented.

"Huh?" Minuet and Killua responded at the same time. Killua's eye twitched. Sure, he didn't want Minuet around, but the idea of Gon and her made him want to cringe. If anyone was going to be the third wheel in the group, it'd be Minuet. Wait... He meant... Killua mentally face palmed before turning to Minuet, watching as she shyly stroked her hair, a light blush on her cheeks while she somehow kept up with the two of them.

Minuet shyly looked up at Gon who was just a little taller than her, then to the ground, "D-Don't say things like that..." Minuet murmured, squealing with joy on the inside. It wasn't that she didn't get compliments, she received plenty of them, just not on her appearance. So when Gon complimented her, a cute boy, she couldn't help but get a little flustered.

"Sorry! But you really are pretty!" Gon smiled, glad to have somehow stopped them from arguing.

Killua's eye twitched with annoyance. "Yeah..." He muttered, annoyed that Minuet had Gon's attention instead of him. Honestly, anyone's attention would be nice, he just didn't like being left out. Still, it'd be great if Minuet could go away, maybe even... forever.

Minuet turned to Killua with a big smile on her face from Gon's compliment, feeling a little bad for leaving him out. However, the smile faded when she saw how menacing his glare was and how he seemed to want to... kill her. It was obvious she was not welcomed here.

Feeling a little uncomfortable, Minuet turned to Gon with a nervous smile on her visage and an awkward chuckle in her throat. "A-Anyway, about the race... I'm not all that into competition." _Lie._ "So you two race, alright?" And just like that, she disappeared once more.

"Eh?!" Gon blinked, looking around for the girl. "Did I upset her?" He didn't know a girl would get upset from a compliment like that... Then again, Leorio embarrassed her before so she may have connected his compliment to that.

"No. She's just really moody." Killua sighed, his eyes half closed. He really hoped Gon wouldn't worry about her the entire time they were hanging out. That'd be a total damper on his mood.

* * *

><p>"Cool. We've caught up to the main group, Gon." He turned to look behind him to see no one there. "Huh? Where'd he go?" He stood there for a moment before shrugging and turning back to the main group. He didn't die, did he? He thought as he trotted back to the main group.<p>

There, he saw Minuet running alongside the main group. _What could I possibly lose? _He thought, running over to her. It made sense to keep her close by should Gon continue to worry. If she was always nearby and alright, Gon wouldn't be worried about her. But there was also the possibility of her taking up his attention. He'd have to think about this a bit more, but not now.

"Yo." He said, slapping her back, though he wasn't sure if he was doing it to be playful or callous. "What's up?"

Minuet stared straight ahead, ignoring the older boy as she trotted. She didn't want to talk to him so she picked up her pace a little in an attempt to leave him behind. She was a little curious about why he'd talk to her though, otherwise she would've darted away the second he approached her.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Killua narrowed his eyes at the girl before grabbing onto her ponytail and tugging.

"Hnn!" Minuet winced, turning around and aiming for Killua's face as she made a palm strike. He dodged it with ease, causing her to do another, aiming for his stomach instead. Again, he dodged it, hopping back twice. Maybe darting off would've been a better choice.

Killua couldn't help but laugh, "Wow. You're slow now, aren't you?" He smirked, keeping a hold on her hair. "Keep running or we'll get left behind." He said, running alongside the girl. Her hair was long enough for him to keep a grip on it while running alongside her without hurting her. Of course, he didn't care too much if it hurt her, at least she wouldn't be able to ignore him or avoid him.

"Don't tell me what to do." Minuet hissed, jerking her head to the side in an attempt to pull her hair free of Killua's grasp. Which, of course, failed terribly. He had a good grip, and the only way to leave would be to cut her hair or rip it from her scalp. She was willing to do neither.

* * *

><p>The two ran for another hour, the fog finally fading and a clear path to where the others would be headed now visible. Finding the perfect chance to ditch the group and deal with Killua, Minuet stopped the silver haired boy by merely stopping in her tracks. He tugged at her hair before stopping, causing her to wince.<p>

"Let go of me!" Minuet hissed at Killua, grabbing a hold of her hair and tugging it away from him. "Why are you being so mean to me?!" He was nice and friendly before, but now he was just being a jerk without any explanation!

Killua tried to hold back his laughter but failed. Seeing her angry made him feel a little smug. Who knew he could play with her emotions so easily? "I dunno. But if you want me to stop, stay away from Gon." He narrowed his eyes at her playfully at first, then menacingly to emphasize the truth to his words. "I don't need you getting in the way of me making friends."

Minuet's eyes widened and her brows furled, shooting Killua a nasty glare herself. "You can't tell me who I can and can't talk to!" She shouted at him. _Besides, it's not only Gon I wanted to hang out with, I wanted to hang out with you, too_, she thought, holding back her tears. The nerve of him! If she wasn't able to keep her composure, she probably would have slapped him.

Killua scoffed, shaking his head. How stupid could she be? "Of course I can! You owe me for saving your life, buying you dinner, letting you lodge with me, and buying you new clothes!" He shouted back at her, watching as she became uneasy, reverting into a small shell of herself.

"I-I thought you did that because you liked me..." Minuet murmured to herself, looking to the ground, a strange feeling of sadness washing over her. Sure, she'd been sad before, but not like this. It was... different. It left a pang in her chest... It left her breathless.

"As if I'd like an ugly girl like you! You're hardly anything to look at. Gon was probably lying when he said you were pretty -Just didn't want you to feel so bad about being as ugly as you are. Hah!" Killua sneered at her, shoving his hands into his pockets. Of course, he knew she didn't mean 'like' in that sort of sense, but it was the perfect opening for an insult, and frankly, her attitude pissed him off. She was just too moody for his tastes.

"But... I... I thought we were friends..." Minuet's eyes widened, her fists clenching. It was as if any confidence she had was smoldered away by Killua's words. Any confidence she had in making friends was gone. It was... it was nothing. She thought he was going to be a friend to her, a nice one. Someone she could trust and play games with and travel with. Someone she could be herself around. Someone who could bring out the best in her and always be there for her. So why? Why were all of those hopes gone so quickly?

"Friends..?" Killua's eyes widened and he suddenly felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Suddenly, he felt so guilty. Friends. She considered him a friend? Wasn't that what he wanted to be with her in the first place? Didn't he want to be friends with her? How could he...? How could he do what he did to her?

"I-I...-" He took a deep breath, his own words causing his throat to tighten up and squeeze and choke him. It hurt. He hadn't ever felt like that before. Killua bit his lip before looking over at Minuet, watching as she trembled and held back tears. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to say he was sorry for being a jerk and hurting her feelings. He wanted to take back those hurtful things he said to her. But most of all, he wanted her to forgive him and accept his friendship once more. "Minuet, I -"

Before he was able to finish his sentence, Minuet choked on her own tears, failing to hold back a sob before dashing off down the dirt path. She had enough. She didn't want to hear anymore. She didn't want to hear the apology she could just feel coming on.

She didn't want to forgive him so easily.

Killua watched as Minuet dashed off, his fists clenching. He bit the inside of his cheek hard enough so that he could taste the crimson iron fill his mouth. The taste was absolutely disgusting, but so were his actions and words towards Minuet. "Shit..." He muttered, his voice hoarse. And shitty was exactly how he felt, too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hoped you liked the chapter! I mulled over it a lot before posting it, actually... I rewrote it, different outcomes happening every time. So hopefully, this chapter is the best one I wrote, because I think it is! Please rate and review!<strong>_


	4. A x Lonely x Xetz

"Minuet!" Gon waved at the shorter girl as he trotted over to her. He hadn't seen her since she last ran off in Phase One and he was eager to catch up. "Where've you been?" He asked, smiling sweetly at her. When she turned to him, a shy smile on her face, he lit up, glad to have stopped to talk to her.

Gon. She didn't mind Gon. He was sweet to her, probably the nicest boy to her by far. "I -" She cut herself off, seeing Killua join the spiky haired boy. All of a sudden, Gon seemed to be the equivalent of dirt. "Leave me alone." She said coldly, walking away from the two boys. She dropped her hard-boiled egg that she had only half-eaten by this point. She couldn't eat now. As it stood, Minuet wanted to vomit.

Gon frowned. He didn't expect Minuet to be so cold to him. Did he do something to upset her? "Is she alright?" He asked, turning to Killua. "Did something happen?" When he saw Killua avert his gaze shamefully, he understood that the two of them must've had an argument of some sort.

The brown eyed boy bit his lip before trotting after Minuet, looking back at Killua over his shoulder. "I'm gonna go talk to her." He said with a reassuring smile. He hoped he would be able to talk to her, anyway. He trotted quickly over to her, stopping beside her as she looked over into the ravine. He was actually a little worried with how close to the edge she was.

"I said to leave me alone." Minuet said coldly, clenching her teeth and her fists. "I mean it." She wasn't as upset as she was earlier; angry actually, and if she was too angry, then he'd be in danger.

He frowned again before taking Minuet's hand in his own, hoping to give her a little warmth. She quickly pulled them away, though. "Don't touch me, either!" She hissed at him, her eyes dark and narrow. "If you do... I'll kill you." Her eyes narrowed, almost as if a switch was flipped inside her brain.

She really wanted to kill him. She wanted to wrap her hands around that fragile neck of his and squeeze. She wanted to squeeze tight enough to make him sweat from fear, then her grip would slip and she'd have to dig her nails into his skin to keep a good hold on him. His body would convulse deliciously beneath her and he'd claw at her hands, trying to break free even though it was feasible. He'd try to speak, his voice hoarse, but she'd squeeze tight enough to crush his windpipe. His eyes would roll back into his head and his saliva would begin to foam out of his mouth as he tried to gasp for air and fail. And soon, his writhing body would go limp.

Gon's eyes widened and he stepped back. It was involuntary, but he couldn't bring himself to go back to where he was. Being in her presence felt like being out in the snow for too long -like a bunch of icy needles in his skin, and the look in her ruby eyes was menacing and cold. "I-I'm scared..." He choked, his eyes wide as he stared at Minuet, a cold sweat on his brow that he wanted to wipe but was too afraid to do so, afraid that his next move may be his last.

Minuet's eyes narrowed further at Gon, her ruby eyes shining with menace until... A soothing scent of sweet watermelon filled her nostrils, instantly calming her blood lust. When she took a deep breath, she came into realization. _Was I really about to…?_

"G-Gon..." Minuet cupped her hands over her mouth before tending to the boy. "I'm sorry... I..." She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She wanted to make sure that the vision she saw just moments before was just a vision and not the truth. She wanted to hold him and ensure he was there. "I really almost killed you... I'm so... I'm so sorry." She whimpered, squeezing him tighter.

The spiky haired boy's body relaxed, the scent of fresh watermelon filling his nostrils. Suddenly, he felt warm and at ease in her arms. "I forgive you." He said, gently wrapping his arms around the girl's waist and rubbing her back in a soothing manner. By the looks of it, she really needed it. "You smell really nice." Gon chuckled, sniffing Minuet's hair. It was a strange scent that he never really noticed until she embraced him. It was somehow very soothing.

She nodded her head, closing her eyes. Feeling Gon's arms around her put her more at ease than the sweet watermelon scent that she adored. "I let my emotions get the best of me, I'm sorry." Gon smiled, resting his chin on Minuet's shoulder, nuzzling her gently.

Minuet smiled gently at the other's kind comfort, her heart pounding in her chest. _No. No no no._ She quickly pulled away from him, a stern look on her face. "But please do try to refrain from speaking to me from now on. I'm not your friend, and I don't want to be, so please leave me alone." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Huh?" Gon was taken aback by the girls suddenly cold attitude. She really was moody, and it really confused him. Not only that, but her coldness kind of upset him. Why was she like this? What happened while he was gone?

He watched as the green haired girl walked off. He wanted to talk to her, to see her smile again, but that seemed impossible now. He just couldn't bring himself to talk to her again.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Killua said, approaching the other boy. He felt a little jealous to see them hug like that, but it also upset him to see that Minuet was being cold to Gon just because of him. Gon didn't deserve that. "Girls tend to be moody like that, so she'll be fine by the end of the Hunter Exam. I've known her longer than you, after all." He tried to play up their relationship, making it seem like they were friends for longer than they really were. It was a harmless lie all for the sake of calming Gon down. He didn't want two people to be hurting because of him.

Gon smiled wryly before looking up at Killua. "I hope so."

* * *

><p>Minuet sat down in the dining hall at the end of the table. There were a few people there, such as Ponzu, Pokkle, Gittarackur, Hisoka, Hanzo, and a few others she didn't know the names of because they never drew in her attention.<p>

Ponzu attracted her because she was a girl, Pokkle because she bumped into him, and Gittarackur, Hisoka, and Hanzo all because of their sheer potential to become threats. Still, now was not the time to think about others. Now was a time for herself, and Minuet needed an outlet.

She sat alone, taking a large platter of food for herself which she dug into heartily. Despite being raised in a household where manners were taught from the second you stepped foot on the property, Minuet was definitely not a polite eater. She was when it counted, but in actuality, she enjoyed stuffing her face in as messy of a manner as possible seeing as it defied anything she was ever taught about demeanor and manners. It was a great stress reliever, that was for sure.

Nothing calmed Minuet more than eating until her stomach couldn't take it anymore -aside from killing. She didn't feel guilty after eating, though. If she gained a few pounds, it didn't matter, because she could just lose them again. Taking someone's life was irreversible, though.

In an attempt to relieve stress, Minuet slurped up her noodles, stuffing a roll into her mouth as she chewed the noodles, then she took a slice of pizza and stuffed that in as well, and soon came a chicken wing, and then another, and a drink of water before another mouthful of noodles. It was a little unsettling, really. Still, it was all for the sake of feeling better.

She wanted to stuff herself full until she couldn't take it. The pain of the stress and the weight of the burden it had on her heart was outweighed when she ate. That sad, indescribable loneliness was filled with food that tasted good. Filling a sad, emptiness with something sweet and delicious was the best way to feel better, Minuet thought.

When she was done eating her main course, she went for the dessert table and grabbed herself another large platter and took a seat at the table before stuffing her face with three donuts, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, butterscotch pudding, a sweet roll, a slice of pumpkin pie, and then apple pie.

* * *

><p>Eventually, Minuet did become full and walked away. Strangely enough, she wasn't bloated in the slightest and her stomach didn't hurt at all. She strolled down the corridors of the airship, opening various doors in an attempt to look for entertainment. She had to do something while waiting for her stomach to settle. All of the food she just ate would give her an upset stomach if she went to bed straight away and then the whole purpose of it filling her to make her feel better would be gone.<p>

She was bored. No one was around. She wanted to play games with someone, anyone. Killua and Gon were definitely not options, though. Gon made her feel... weird, and she was so cold to him, too. She told him she didn't want to be friends with him. She could never take that back. As for Killua, she couldn't speak to him, either. She was still mad at him, and if he apologized to her, she would be overwhelmed and be inclined to forgive him sooner than she wanted to.

Realizing just how lonely she was made her mind wander. Minuet thought back on the nightmare she had the other night when she had shared the hotel room with Killua. He was the cause of the death of her siblings. She wasn't psychic in the least, but what if her dream was warning her of something? She always got all hypothetical when lost in thought.

_I wonder_, she thought to herself. "Boot..." She pulled her cellphone out of her bra and turned it on. No missed messages or calls. Taking a seat on one of the benches at windowsill, she pulled up her contacts list and called her younger brother. He would cheer her up. He always did, and talking to someone would help her thoughts stabilize. She was such a mess, it was terrible!

"Hello? Minuet?" Boot answered, a little worried. It wasn't often that Minuet called him and when she did, it was often urgent. "Is everything alright?"

Hearing her brother's voice over the phone caused a wave of relief to wash over her. They hadn't been separated for long, but she missed him and the dream scared her. If he hadn't picked up, she would've panicked and been under more distress. But he did, so it calmed her greatly, putting her at ease. "Everything's alright. How's your job?"

"It went well. I recieved a good sum for the skull. I've been told to go on break, though. It's indefinite, but Zenyk insisted. It's been a while since I've had one of those." He sighed pleasantly into the phone. She must've been lonely or something, so that put a little ease on his chest. He loved Minuet dearly. It was a strange sort of love to the point where he wasn't sure if he saw her as a sibling. Sure, he was a little young to feel such a way, but he did.

"I'm on break, as well. I'm taking this year's Hunter Exam." She smiled as she spoke, comforted just knowing that Boot was on the other end of the line. "I wonder if everyone else is on a break, too."

"It's not likely. I tried to call Xeital but he never picked up. The others are probably working harder now that the load's been taken off of us." The blond chuckled, scratching his cheek.

_ Minuet's family business is a strange one. It has one basis, and that is that they are hunters. They hunt various things, but the most prominent listings are rare animals and human trophies. The youngest of the family, Serena and Kale work on hunting rare animals until they've blossomed as hunters to avoid their deaths. They are on constant supervision from Xeital, who has the most talent among the Captains, while Zenyk is essentially the weakest of the Captains so he watches over the strongest Soldiers of the family._

_ The way the business works is that everything goes through their father, Niruma, who is the head of their family business, or the General. Niruma, being General, assigns Captains, often consisting of the weaker members of the family to supervise to avoid any casualties._

_ The Captains consist of Zenyk, Xeital, Flipper, Chip, Mirai, and Hilda. They're often the ones who stay in direct contact with Niruma and collect jobs for their other siblings. As expected, the six leaders have the least amount of potential when it comes to working on the outfield, thus, they often stay in and keep tabs on profits, clients, and other intel, acting as spies or informants._

_ Each leader is given two others to look after and work with, considered the soldiers of the family; the ones strongest in combat and various other skills, meaning they have the most potential and are essentially stronger than the Captains._

_ The ones under Zenyk's care are Minuet and Boot, the most talented in the family business and considered 'prodigies' among their peers. Xeital cares for Serena and Kale while Flipper cares for Chitara and Adair. Chip supervises and keeps in contact with Brin and Banion, while Mirai supervises Paige and Syaoris. Lastly, Hilda cares for Rensa and Link. _

_ This balance ensures that up to 24 jobs can be taken at once, each Soldier taking on up to two jobs at a time. It also ensures that there is, in fact, an income to the household. Most clients of the Xetz family are from the underworld where plenty of people are killed at not even a moment's notice. With so many jobs being taken, this ensures that less time is wasted while on the job, seeing that as soon as a client is dead, the job is no longer continued and any time spent on it is essentially wasted._

"So, you mentioned the Hunter Exam? How is it?" Boot asked, nibbling at a carrot stick.

"Easy, but I do have an unfair advantage, I suppose."

"Of course you do!" He chuckled.

The two exchanged idle chat amongst each other long into the night until Minuet decided it was time to sleep. She made her way to the lodging room where Leorio and Kurapika were sleeping up against the wall and various others were scattered about the floor.

She was careful to not make a noise as she slipped into the room, finding a comfortable place in the corner where she closed her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep.

Had it not been for her call to Boot, she wouldn't have been able to get a sleep that night. Though Zenyk had told her to make new friends at the exam, it was clear to see that all she'd ever need was her family. Friends were for those who didn't have or need family, right?

Of course, even she knew that wasn't the truth. It was just what she told herself so she'd feel a little less lonely.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Minuet and Gon have a little dispute. The reason? Killua. Will Gon continue to try being her friend regardless of her wishes?<strong>_


	5. Fickle x Hearted x Assassin

_ 2:20 AM - Killua's Night_

"If I hadn't left, I would've killed the old man to get the ball." The angered assassin muttered to himself, a menacing grin on his face and a shimmer of blood lust in his sapphire eyes. He wouldn't be surprised if he killed the next person he saw -aside from those two buffoons who dared to challenge him.

Killua couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand being looked down upon. This stemmed from the high expectations his family had for him. As much as he hated having to live up to those seemingly unreasonable expectations, he couldn't help but become full of himself from all of the spoiling he got for being the most talented Zoldyck in history. It was embedded into his brain. He was a talented kid, not to be trifled with, so whenever anyone questioned his abilities or looked down on them, he just had to show them up.

The fact that he couldn't show Netero up by catching the ball just enraged him even further. Killing him wasn't allowed, and he had to control himself. He just had to. Although killing was in his blood, he'd be lying to say he enjoyed it. More so, he was indifferent to killing. He didn't like it, but he didn't care if he did it. He didn't feel bad. Still, it was control he needed. He wanted to be friends with Gon, so he had to control his blood lust. Otherwise... what if Gon came to hate him for it?

"I don't believe you!"

Killua's eyebrow raised when he heard the familiar voice. _Minuet is still awake?_ He peered around the corner, being sure to conceal his presence should she become suspicious of him. He knew she wasn't normal, but he wasn't sure of her capabilities, so it was better to stay cautious.

"No, because I can tell!"

A wry smile crept onto his face as he watched Minuet from afar. She was talking on the phone with her brother, most likely. _Boot or Zenyk, right?_ Wow, he remembered their names.

His blood lust calmed as he listened to her talk to her brother on the phone. She was smiling and laughing with whoever she was chatting with.

"...behind me."

Killua's eyes widened and he stepped out into view, Minuet looking over her shoulder at him. She could sense him even though he...? He swallowed, staring at her. Apologize. _I have to... apologize. Tell her I'm sorry_.

She didn't do so much as bat an eyelash at him before turning back to look out the window. "No, I don't care too much..."

His eye twitched at that. "Fine, be like that." He huffed, marching off to the lodging room. To think he was going to apologize for even just a second! If she wanted to be a little brat, fine by him! He was tired anyway, so sleep would be great right about now, he thought.

"Good night."

Killua looked back at Minuet to see the girl glancing at him, her eyes squinting before turning away and yawning. _Was she talking to me?_ He wondered, his cheeks flushing before turning away.

"G-Good night!" He said back to her, his voice trembling. God, how could she do that? Here, he thought he was the one able to manipulate her emotions, when she could easily do the same to him! Damn girl. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he continued down the corridor, though. _Maybe I..._ He caught himself before finishing the thought. No way. Nope. He was not finishing it.

Minuet turned to the source, her vision blurry from sleep deprivation as she hung up her phone. "Huh?" But before her vision could focus, Killua was already out of sight.

_Must've been my imagination.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Gon dropped from the window and pulled his jacket on. He was energized and ready to have a go at the next phase! After doing his jacket up, he dashed over to the door, eager to go and find Killua to tell him about his accomplishment. "Huaah?!"<p>

Oops! He was too slow to react, knocking the other person over, pinning them onto the floor. Sometimes he wished he wasn't so careless. "Haaah?" A big grin filled his face when he saw who he bumped into. "Killuaaaa!" Of course, this time he didn't feel so bad about it.

The silver haired boy groaned, looking up at Gon. "Jeez, I knew you'd be in there still." He shook his head, waiting for the other to get up and off of him. When Gon held his hand out for him, he took it reluctantly, pulling himself up. "You should watch where you're going."

Gon nodded his head with a giggle, "Mhm! Sorry about that." He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I got Netero to use his right hand!"

"Eh? Really?" Killua raised an eyebrow at first, but soon smirked with recognition. Gon was more skilled than he thought. This boy really was something special. There really was a reason why him and Minuet were drawn to Gon. "How'd you manage that?"

"I used my head." Gon poked himself in the forehead where a goosebump was hours before. "And then he used his right hand."

Killua smirked, nodding his head. "Go figure." He chuckled, shoving his hands into his pocket. "We should go grab a bite to eat before the next phase starts. Everyone else has already been to the dining hall." Killua turned on his heel, heading for the dining hall where he and Gon would have their last meal for who knows how long. Although he could live for days and days on end without food or water despite the normal human-being needing water within 48 hours, he didn't enjoy it. So eating whenever possible was always his first choice.

"Wait up!" Gon trotted after the silver haired boy, turning to him when he caught up. He wondered how many more times he'd chase after Killua...

The two walked down the corridor, chatting with one another while glancing out the window occasionally to see how much longer until reaching their destination. Maybe an hour or two tops, they concluded. The area below looked so lush and green with how many trees were around.

_Green. Minuet_. "I wonder how Minuet's doing?" Gon thought aloud, looking ahead as if he were expecting her to be walking down the corridor towards them.

Killua blinked, "Minuet?" He shrugged, "Fine, I guess." He didn't really know if she was fine. He definitely felt a little better about her saying goodnight to him, or at least he hoped she did. He wasn't really sure seeing as she may have said it to Boot on the other end of the line.

"You spoke to her again?" Gon asked, blinking. Killua and her really did seem close. He wasn't jealous, he just wished he was able to run into Minuet more to build their bond together.

"A-Ah... Yeah." Killua averted his gaze shyly, his cheeks flushed. He wondered what she was doing at the moment. "Last night when I left the ball game." He explained, turning back towards Gon.

"Ah? I should've left with you too! I want to talk to her more. But on the bright side, I achieved my goal!" He smiled at Killua, whose eyes widened, his cheeks flushed.

Was he really going to be the third wheel? He swallowed. He wanted to be friends with Minuet again, and he wanted to be friends with Gon. He couldn't choose between the two at this point, especially if Minuet really was going to give him another chance like he hoped. If Gon and her... became romantically involved though, he'd get left behind.

He kept a successful facade up, grinning and playfully nudging Gon in the side. "Yeah, yeah! The goal! But tell me, you like her, don't you?" He teased the other playfully. He needed to know.

Gon nodded his head, "Of course I like her! You're supposed to like your friends, aren't you?" Of course he was oblivious to what Killua actually meant. If he was more obvious with the term 'like' being 'interested in', then he would've understood and given an answer. But of course, Gon couldn't really give an answer as this point.

Killua sighed with relief. If Gon didn't pick up on what he meant, then he had nothing to worry about. Of course Gon didn't seem like the type to be romantic, Killua didn't think so anyway.

The two strolled into the dining hall to see Minuet and Kurapika sitting across from one another, Leorio just taking a seat beside Kurapika.

"There she is!" Gon exclaimed, pointing over at Minuet. "We should grab our breakfast and say hello!"

Killua puffed his cheeks before sighing, "Yeah, alright." He felt a little better after the brief exchange the night before, but he still hadn't mustered up the courage to apologize to her. It made him a little wary to approach her. Hell, the last time Gon tried to, she almost killed him -or so she said. He wasn't close enough that day to sense her blood lust and anger… otherwise he may have killed her to prevent her from killing Gon.

Gon lead Killua over to the buffet table where he gathered some fruit for himself along with bacon, eggs and toast. He finished off with a glass of orange juice.

Killua had a different idea for breakfast, though. He threw waffles on his plate, topped them off with hash made of potatoes, bacon, and onion, then topped that off with whipped cream, and lastly, strawberries to make it a little healthy. Then he just drowned the whole thing in chocolate chips and maple syrup, finishing off with a glass of chocolate milk. _The food of kings_, he thought.

The spiky haired boy looked at Killua's plate, his molars stinging. Killua had such a sweet tooth it was almost unbearable for someone who was practically a health nut like himself. He wouldn't eat it himself, but he didn't look down on Killua for eating a mess of sugar, salt, and fat. Seriously. How the hell could Killua eat that?

The two boys took a seat next to the green haired girl, Gon on the left, Killua on the right, and Minuet in the middle. "Good morning!" Gon chimed. It was great to see everyone seemingly getting along.

"Good morning, Gon. Killua." Kurapika nodded his head to the two of them. "Ah, Minuet." The blond Kurta turned to the girl and glanced over at Killua for just a moment before fixing his gaze back on her. They must know each other, right? "Killua was the one you were referring to when you said you came here with a friend, right?"

Killua's eyes widened and he turned to Minuet. Did she still consider him...?

Minuet nodded her head, "Yes, I was referring to Killua." She didn't glance over at Killua. She knew he was looking for some sort of reaction, but she didn't give him one. She didn't even turn to look at Gon. Instead, she stabbed a grape with her fork from her fruit salad and ate it.

What? Killua didn't understand. She was nice to him last night, even if only slightly, right? Was she really only talking to her brother? Suddenly, he felt like a fool. He was stupid to think she'd forgiven him for what he did. He pretty much stomped on her hopes of being friends with him, and he mocked her for trying to be friends with Gon. He didn't even know anything about her. He didn't even give her a _chance._

Much to Killua's dismay, Minuet really wasn't speaking to him, but in fact, her brother, Boot. She glanced back at him merely because she wanted to see who was behind her. Minuet was a talented girl, but one of her short comings was how quickly she ran out of energy when her emotions took over. When this happened, her vision became blurry, and that was usually when she decided to sleep. Had she gone to the same lodging room as Killua, she might have recognized him and made amends.

But alas, she did not. Therefore, she was still mad at him.

"There's a bit of tension." Leorio whispered into Kurapika's ear. He wasn't the only one to notice, of course. If Leorio could sense it, everyone else could. He just felt as if he needed to voice it, hoping it would help everyone relax. Normally if flaws were mentioned in a setting, people tried to fix them.

Minuet continued eating her fruit salad, being polite while doing so. Gon looked over at the green haired girl, narrowing his eyes at her, looking for a way to smooth things over. He was very well aware that she was the cause of the heavy tension in the air.

How, though? The mood was just so bright and cheery moments before. He was so eager to see Minuet again, hoping she was a little cheerier. Didn't Killua say she seemed to be doing better? Gon bit his lip and turned to Minuet. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to smile. He wanted...

"Yaha!" He reached over and stole one of the watermelon chunks from Minuet's fruit salad and popped it into his mouth. "Mm! This is really good!" He smiled, looking at Minuet's face to see her reaction.

Minuet blinked before turning to Gon. "My watermelon..." She pouted, her cheeks puffing as she stared at Gon. "Watermelon's my favourite, you know!"

Gon laughed and stole another chunk of watermelon from her salad. Before Minuet could protest, he took one of the chunks of banana on his plate and shovelled it into her mouth, a big grin on his face.

Kurapika and Leorio stared wide-eyed at the two of them, blinking before turning to look at eachother. There was no way... They were both so young. And they just met! Of course the two looked like they were a couple. It explained everything; the sudden tension when Gon greeted them at the table, Minuet ignoring him, then suddenly, him being cute and her easily forgiving him? They had all the signs of an adolescent relationship. The two had to have had something going on, right?

Minuet's cheeks flushed and she chewed the banana before shyly averting her gaze. _Jeez, Gon is just too cute_, Minuet thought, her chest fluttering. That feeling again. It was happiness, right? _This happiness… I want it to last forever._

"Ahem." Killua loudly cleared his throat, shovelling his food into his mouth reluctantly. It was the only thing keeping him from making an outburst. He wasn't... jealous.

Gon turned to Killua and chuckled as if to tell him 'it's alright' before turning to Minuet. The first thing he noticed was the shy smile she had on her delicate visage. _She's really pretty when she smiles_, he thought, watching as the girl giggled, brushing her hair behind her ear. Only just then did he notice the red flower in her hair. "That flower's really pretty." He commented.

_ Pretty?_ Minuet's cheeks flushed and she shyly averted her gaze. "Th-Thank you. I've had it since I was little." She said, shyly stroking her hair. "I... like your ears." Minuet said, her cheeks flushing an even deeper red. "They're cute."

"My ears?" Gon tugged at his earlobe curiously. What a strange thing to comment on, but he didn't mind. They were easy to see since his hair was always back, anyway. He wriggled his ears and giggled, getting a cute giggle out of Minuet, and a chuckle out of Kurapika and Leorio. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits ...except Killua. But no one noticed him and his terrible mood.

Killua averted his gaze, withdrawing from the group and unto himself.

This. This was why. This was why he didn't want her around.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Poor Killua. Like. Aagh. Sorry this update took so long. As you can see, Minuet and Gon are doing well... But Killua isn't doing so hot.<strong>_


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